no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 185 God puts on the No. 41 jersey (Achieved on the first day of every ten thousand days, please subscribe! Please vote monthly!)

93:103.

Although the Mavericks never gave up in the fourth quarter, they were unable to stage another miracle comeback.

The Bulls blossomed more. Rose scored a team-high 32 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists, including 7 of 4 three-pointers, bottoming out;

徐永最后一节独得13分，最终也贡献了26分7板4助攻3抢断2盖帽；

Chicago scored 58 points with two shots, breaking through the Mavericks' defense.

Yao Ming played an atypical game in his career, scoring 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks, almost recording a triple-double in the finals.

Nowitzki scored a game-high 33 points and scored 30+ points in two consecutive games in the Finals. However, he only made 1 goal in the fourth quarter, plus two free throws and scored 4 points. This performance was different from G1. great.

Just as the content of the game showed, his performance was exactly the same as Xu Yong's in the previous game.

If the Mavericks no longer play team basketball and just give the ball to Nowitzki, they will obviously not be able to defeat the Bulls who have adjusted back to their state.

"Charles, do you still think the Mavericks can stage an epic championship?" At the end of the game, Smith asked Barkley a soul-searching question.

"Yes, I believe in Rick Carlisle's ability to adjust and their desire for the championship." Barkley still said firmly.

Although the Bulls defended their second home game, as analyzed before, due to the competition system, the next three home games will be played in Dallas, and the Mavericks are now the team that truly has home court advantage.

After the game, Xu Yong took Swift... to the training hall for training.

Although G2 won, he also knew the difficulties the team would face next, and he could not relax at this time.

Swift cooperated. Although Xu Yong asked her to go back to the hotel to wait for him at first, because she was interested in basketball, she now sat on the sidelines with her chin in her hands and watched Xu Yong's training quietly.

As she watched, a smile appeared on her face unconsciously.

Serious people are always the most handsome.

And for the first time, she knew why Xu Yong didn't have much time to spend with her. Professional NBA players were busier than she imagined.

Of course there are other reasons for her smile.

When your boyfriend plays a high-intensity basketball game with core output, and then goes through a high-intensity extra practice, the corners of your mouth will turn up unconsciously.

And when they got to the back, Swift was not satisfied with watching. She went directly to help Xu Yong pick up the ball.

But the two started having fun picking it up, and Xu Yong held Swift in his arms to satisfy the latter's wish for a dunk.gif.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the training hall, otherwise he would have eaten a few kilograms of dog food passively when he saw this scene.

After the training, the two went for a ride, and then returned to Xu Yong's villa to rest.

"Don't take off your jersey."

"Ok?"

"You're actually wearing the opponent's jersey. I'm going to teach you a lesson tonight."

……

Because the next game will continue in Dallas, there will be a three-day break between G3 and G2.

That is, the day before G3, the other three of the Devils' Four Musketeers, Harden, DeRozan and Ayers, all left for Dallas.

They are still planning to return to Tempe for training this coming summer, but before that, they will support Xu Yongbo in Dallas.

The friendship of winning the championship together is like a comrade who has fought in the tunnel.

So before the Bulls left for Dallas, he got a call from Harden.

"The temperature has dropped in Dallas. It suddenly feels like winter. Remember to bring more clothes." Harden even reminded him thoughtfully.

Xu Yong didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when he actually flew to Dallas, and got off the plane and was trembling in the wind, he realized that Harden was not exaggerating.

This weird weather, people who didn’t know it thought it was the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” that came into reality.

Because the team had no training scheduled for the evening, Xu Yong took them into the training hall after arriving.

The quartet at this time has changed a lot from when they first entered the league three years ago.

Needless to say, Xu Yongyong has played in the finals since his second year, and now he has a chance to win FMVP. The other three are almost jealous of him.

Otherwise, why would they come to Dallas together at this time?

Harden's words are much stronger than in history, and because of Westbrook's struggles in the playoffs this season, many fans are discussing whether the Thunder should use Westbrook to replace a star inside player and strengthen Harden. .

This may sound a bit nonsensical at first, but upon closer analysis it makes sense.

Because the fundamental reason why Harden can't start in the Thunder is that he is more effective with the ball than without the ball, but there is only one ball, in the hands of Westbrook.

But in the playoffs, Westbrook proved that he was not good, but Harden was good.

And more importantly, there's a Bulls success story here.

To be honest, if the Bulls management had not exchanged potential stocks like Noah and immediate combat capabilities like Deng for Yao Ming, they would most likely not have made it to the Finals this season.

The Thunder's group of young talents are very similar to last season's Bulls.

Of course, this is all fan fiction. Only the Thunder management know what they think.

As for DeRozan, he averaged 18+ points per game this season, nearly 10 points more than last season. He is already the Raptors' second-leading scorer and ranked sixth in the previous Most Improved Player selection.

Ayers is doing well with the Heat.

In fact, to be honest, the Heat's team formation method is destined to make the rotation players weaker in strength.

You are like the Celtics, who have cultivated high-quality role players like Rondo and Perkins before, but the Heat only have Chalmers and Haslem, and Haslem was still injured last season. He didn't play many games. Although he came back before the playoffs, his condition was difficult to guarantee.

However, this did give Ayers a chance. Although his talent is relatively mediocre, he is still a rookie with immediate combat capabilities. He also has a long-range basket and coordination ability, which is quite suitable for the Big Three.

Of course, the focus that Ayers brings to them has never been on the field, but what he, the "devil spy", brings to them is off the field.

For example, James asked for Spoelstra to be fired, but the result was that the entire team was faced with a wall.

Xu Yong couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

You can tell me, is it a happy thing to be on the team with James? It’s fun to watch from time to time.

But Ayers also told Xu Yong about James' summer plans.

Although Ayers doesn't know whether those are true or false, because he has been teammates with James for two seasons, he also knows that James likes to use the media to build his own personality.

But after hearing this, Xu Yong knew that James was serious this time.

Not to mention that in history, James reached his true personal peak in the next two years. If he was swept last season and didn't work hard, then he would not be James but Simmons.

Although the season is not over yet, it seems that he still has to work hard this offseason.

Sweeping others feels good for a while, but if someone takes revenge next season, it will be someone else who feels good.

……

On match day, two big things happened outside the stadium.

The first thing was that in order to show his support for the Mavericks, Barkley wore a cowboy hat and rode a tall horse. He dressed as a cowboy and held a support parade on the streets of Dallas.jpg.

Because it had been promoted two days ago, even though the temperature in Dallas dropped significantly, this scene still attracted a large number of fans to watch, and a large number of Dallas fans poured into the streets to take photos.

After drinking tiger urine, Barkley once again had a big job off the court.

Although he got caught in the saddle and almost fell down when he dismounted, this wave once again earned him enough traffic.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the Mavericks really win the championship, then Barkley must have a seat at the celebration banquet.

The second thing is rumors.

There are rumors that Nowitzki has a cold and fever due to the sudden drop in temperature in Dallas, and his appearance in G3 is doubtful.

This rumor cannot be confirmed for the time being, because the Mavericks officials will definitely not broadcast this kind of thing before the game. It is difficult to distinguish the authenticity of this kind of news leaked from within the team.

However, influenza is very common in the United States. Not to mention getting sick, tens of thousands die from influenza every year.

And just like O'Neal's injury during the previous game with the Heat, this kind of thing happens without warning. If it was really okay, such news would not break out.

"Is this good news?" Rose asked Xu Yong before the game.

After regaining his form in the last game, the suppressed emotions were finally wiped away from his face, and he became much more cheerful.

"Forget it." Xu Yong nodded. Although it was an uncontrollable factor, the opponent suffered injuries, which was definitely good news for his side.

If he remembered correctly, the reason why Nowitzki's finals statistics were not good in history was largely due to his decline in condition after getting sick.

"But we can't take it lightly." Xu Yong continued. After Nowitzki fell ill, the Mavericks directly won 3 games in a row and won the series.

Even if there is no direct relationship here, there must be some connection.

Rose nodded. Although Xu Yong said that he was the leader of the team, it was more of a form of respect. Since the start of the playoffs, Xu Yong is the one who is more like a leader, whether it is his performance on the field or his behavior off the field.

And G3 is also very critical for the Bulls.

The next step is to play three consecutive away games. If they fall behind 1-2 at the beginning, they may be taken away directly in Dallas.

The game is getting closer and closer, and the fans outside the American Airlines Center are already crowded.

Blind students have discovered Huadian. The names of the home courts of the Mavericks and the Heat are almost the same.

Because both arenas are sponsored by American Airlines, they were named to distinguish them. The literal translation of the Heat's home stadium is American Airlines Arena. We generally call it American Airlines Arena, while the Mavericks' home stadium is the American Airlines Center, or American Airlines Center for short. aviation center.

Due to historical reasons, Texas was originally a Mexican territory, and the people here did not get along well with people from other parts of the United States.

So when it comes to this kind of sports, the enthusiasm of local fans has always been very high.

Especially since the Mavericks were founded 21 years ago, they have only reached the finals twice, both during the Nowitzki era.

To have the opportunity to make up for the regrets of five years ago, the fans are even more enthusiastic.

Not to mention that Buckley had staged a parade before.

An hour before the game, the American Airlines Center was already packed, and even a large number of fans gathered outside the American Airlines Center.

Many of them were wearing jeans and holding the flag of the Lone Star Republic, which was very local.

During the warm-up before the game, on-site photographers were looking for Nowitzki.

The Dallas star did not participate in the warm-up. Although he was wearing training clothes, he just sat quietly on the sidelines.

This basically confirmed the pre-game rumors.

Xu Yong also saw Harden and the others on the big screen at this time, but they were sitting relatively far back. It seemed that tickets to the American Airlines Center were not that easy to get.

Swift also came to the scene, but she was very obedient today wearing Xu Yong's No. 6 red away jersey.

A few days ago in Chicago, her feet were shaking when she got up the next day. She would not dare to stimulate Xu Yong again in the future.

The pre-match warm-up was over and the scene entered the opening ceremony. The starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Bulls: Rose, Xu Yong, Artest, O'Neal Jr., Yao Ming;
Mavericks: Kidd, Stevenson, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler.

Nowitzki will still play tonight.

Although he did have a cold and a fever, he couldn't afford to miss this game.

How many five years does a professional player have?He wouldn't miss an opportunity like this.

The game started quickly. The Mavericks did not attack Nowitzki at the beginning, but used Nowitzki as a diversion as before.

Marion drove to the basket to give the Mavericks the lead.

The Bulls' defensive state tonight was obviously weaker than in the last game.

This is also normal. The Mavericks are stable because there are many veterans, and they have all experienced ups and downs, and their tacit understanding is sufficient.

But the Bulls are young, and none of the five starters on the field have played in the finals. They are in full alert mode after losing a game, and then fall back a little after winning a game. This is too normal.

Fortunately, the Bulls' offensive status is online.

Because the Mavericks did not dare to defend the zone, the Bulls lobbed the ball inside at the beginning.

Yao Ming also successfully scored the Bulls' first point with a hook shot.

This has also become a microcosm of the first 5 minutes of the game.

The two teams tied at 11.

The Bulls failed to limit the performance of the Mavericks like they did in the last game, and after Carlisle did not dare to use zone defense tonight, Yao Ming's offensive efficiency in the interior was also very high.

Upon seeing this, Thibodeau reached out and called a timeout.

"What are you guys doing!" Thibodeau doesn't have a very good temper, but his temper is usually external but not internal, but this time he yelled directly.

"Did the weather in Dallas freeze your dicks? Get hard!"

Thibodeau's words filled with harmonious vocabulary immediately woke up everyone on the Bulls team.

Yes, few coaches in the NBA dare to curse like this, but Thibodeau, a rookie coach, does.

But I have to say that his temper was well timed.

After returning from the timeout, the Bulls' defensive intensity obviously increased.

With Xu Yong assisting in defending Marion, Rose stole Kidd's pass. After the Bulls continued fast breaks, the Mavericks had very few options.

Just like last time, they had no choice but to give the ball to Nowitzki.

Nowitzki attacked O'Neal first, and after turning around continuously, the Golden Rooster shot independently and missed the basket.

Although it is only one round, you can clearly feel that Nowitzki's action rate is obviously not as fast as in the previous two games.

But the Bulls will not show mercy just because Nowitzki has a cold and fever.

On the contrary, after being beeped by Thibodeau for a while, the Bulls played more proactively.

Rose looked for Nowitzki in the offense, broke through quickly and then flew for a layup.

Looking back, Nowitzki held the ball and attacked hard, trying to kill the basket to cause damage, but was ruthlessly blocked by Xu Yong's defense.

After the offensive and defensive transition, Yao Ming had a misplaced opportunity to face Nowitzki and directly scored 2+1 on him.

This wave of consecutive scoring instantly put the Mavericks into a disadvantage.

Carlisle had no choice but to replace Nowitzki with Terry.

When Nowitzki came off the court and sat on the sidelines, he was sweating profusely as if he had been in a sauna.

The cruelty of competitive sports is completely reflected at this moment.

Maybe at this moment Dallas fans can deeply feel the sentence "Luck is also part of the game."

But God did not completely seal the Mavericks' championship window tonight.

Nowitzki was out because of a fever, but Terry, who came off the bench, felt hot.

On the first ball that came up, he faced O'Neal Jr.'s help and hit the mid-range shot without seeing the basket.

Immediately afterwards, he hit a difficult fadeaway after being forced by Xu Yong from a negative angle on the baseline.

Terry's touch in the first half could be said to have brought the desperate Dallas fans back from the brink.

At the end of the first half, the score on the field was 43 to 32, and the Bulls ended the first half with an 11-point lead.

尽管特里11投8中轰下18分，但是诺维茨基上半场8投只有1中。

Unable to open up the offense, the Mavericks could only passively defend against the Bulls.

But it's obvious that the offense can't be opened up, and it's almost unrealistic for them to win against this Bulls team just by playing defense.

The two sides entered the intermission.

Nowitzki did not go back to the locker room with his teammates, but went to the infirmary with the team doctor.

He felt like he was sitting in the crater of a volcano, and his body seemed to be on fire at any moment.

After barely holding on to enter the locker room, he almost fell down, but the team doctor on the side had quick eyesight and hands to catch him.

But the moment he came into contact with Nowitzki, he was frightened by the hot feeling coming from his hands.

That is not the body temperature that a normal person should have.

He took out a thermometer and took Nowitzki's temperature. He was stunned when he looked at the temperature displayed on the thermometer.

40.2 degrees.

Normally, if a fever exceeds 38.5, it is considered a high fever, and high temperature convulsions are prone to occur.

And 40 degrees is basically a danger signal. If it is not controlled, death is likely to occur.

Not to mention that Nowitzki is playing with such a high fever.

The doctor looked at the time.

Of course Nowitzki took antipyretics before the game. Generally speaking, the medicine is effective for 4 to 6 hours, which is enough to cope with the game at hand.

But it is obvious that the effect of the drug disappears quickly under strenuous exercise.

And there are certain risks if you continue to reuse the medication.

However, at this temperature, the team doctor continued to take risks and continue to give him medicine, and then gave him various physical cooling methods.

After a while, Nowitzki's depressed state improved.

"Dirk, don't play in the second half. This series is very long. You should look back." The team doctor, who has been with the Mavericks for many years and is an old acquaintance with Nowitzki, began to persuade him.

In fact, he had already persuaded Nowitzki before the game, but Nowitzki insisted on playing.

"Chris, you know, this might be my last chance." Nowitzki gasped.

After hearing this, the team doctor didn't know how to continue.

Nowitzki is 32 years old this year, and his 19rd birthday will be on the 33th in a few days.

For an inside player, this age has begun an inevitable decline.

Perhaps because of his style of play, he can stay at the end of his peak for another two years, but this team will not stay.

Terry and Marion are both 33 years old, and Kidd is 38 years old.

And even Thibodeau can analyze that their team's ability to reach the finals has a lot to do with their state.

But state is something that is easy to maintain once in the playoffs, but it is unrealistic to maintain it forever.

Do you know why it is so difficult to win three consecutive championships?Because every time you succeed, the status will drop one level.State and desire are linked. One of the most important reasons why the Lakers were swept this year is that their desire to win has dropped to freezing point, while the Mavericks' desire to win this year is at its strongest.

After a while, Terry came to the door of the locker room.

The second half of the game is about to begin.

NBA halftime is only 15 minutes, and it goes by in a flash.

Back in the second half, the Mavericks made adjustments to the starting lineup.

Nowitzki did not start. His replacement was Peja Stojakovic, and Terry also started in place of Stevenson.

It takes time for antipyretics to take effect, and Nowitzki was still suffering from a high fever at this time.

"This damn weather." Barkley couldn't help but sigh from the commentary box.

He said this not only because the Mavericks were likely to lose and he was going to be slapped in the face again, but more importantly because of the excitement of the game.

As a commentator, what I hope most is that the game is exciting, so that there will be topics.

The first two games of the finals fit this characteristic very well. The two sides lined up their troops, battled wits and courage, and the fight was back-and-forth.

If you are really like the Eastern Conference Finals, where you were swept 8-on-5, then other than teasing the King and being a fun person, there won't be much to talk about in this game.

Now that Nowitzki has a fever and can't even play, the next half of the game will be a process.

The facts are indeed moving in this direction.

After the two teams each contributed two goals in the second half, Xu Yong took the lead in breaking the deadlock on the Bulls' side. He made a misplacement of Peja, forced a breakthrough on the opponent, and scored 2+1 on the latter.

Peja is actually not too old, only 33 years old, but the key is that he has been injured.

The white shooter's defense is not very good to begin with. After being injured, he is basically useless, otherwise a top shooter like him would not be bought out.

Although he has performed well against the Lakers before, in the intensity of the Finals, his playing time will be severely compressed.

Xu Yong's extra free throw was a solid hit, and the Bulls continued to widen the point difference to 14 points.

Terry wanted to respond from the outside, but missed the basket due to Xu Yong's interference.

Obviously, after the halftime break, his touch was not as hot as it was in the first half.

The Bulls protected the rebound and launched a defensive counterattack. Rose's fast break layup caused Terry's defensive foul and got two free throw opportunities.

It was during this dead ball time that Nowitzki wiped the sweat off his body and stood up from the bench.

When he walked to the technical stage to come on as a substitute, many fans in the American Airlines Center stood up and applauded and cheered one after another.

Most of them thought that Nowitzki would not be able to play tonight, but when they saw that Nowitzki was going to continue playing, they suddenly became excited.

Nowitzki came on to replace Peja, and Rose had two free throw opportunities.

There was a loud noise at the scene, but Rose withstood the pressure and made both free throws.

48:32.

The point difference came to 16 points.

This is not just tonight, but the biggest point difference between the two sides since the series started.

The Mavericks pushed into the frontcourt and everyone else spread out, allowing Nowitzki to hold the ball in the high post.

At this time, the hope of all Dallas is on him.

As Thibodeau shouted, the Bulls decisively attacked him. They would not cooperate with the Mavericks' performance.

However, Nowitzki's reaction was obviously faster than in the first half. He turned directly to the baseline to break through, and then before reaching the penalty area, he stopped and took a shot.

The basketball shot touched the hearts of all Dallas fans present.

"Shh!"

There was a crisp sound, and the American Airlines Center was instantly filled with cheers.

Not only the fans, but also the expressions of the Mavericks players on the field became obviously different.

Nowitzki also took a long breath.

He was feeling the most comfortable he had ever felt tonight.

Anyone who has taken antipyretics should know that when the medicine takes effect and the sweating and body temperature subsides, it feels like coming back to life again.

"Defense! Defense!"

The cheers of Dallas fans rang out.

Rose broke through Terry and reached the free throw line, but Chandler struggled to save the shot and interfered with the defense. The basketball hit the front edge and popped out.

Moreover, Chandler actually turned around and protected the defensive rebound during the fight with Yao Ming for the ball.

At this moment, Xu Yong somewhat knew his previous answer about Nowitzki being sick but the Mavericks instead defeated the Heat in three consecutive games.

The Mavericks originally had a strong desire for the championship this season, but Nowitzki played while sick, which directly filled their desire.

The Mavericks pushed the offense, and Nowitzki continued to occupy the high position.

It was obvious that he wanted to attack more when his own people were more comfortable. Because of his experience in the first half, he didn't know how long the effect of the medicine would last.

However, this time the Bulls' double attack was faster. He had no chance to make a direct shot and could only return the ball to Kidd.

Kidd hung up again, and this time Nowitzki rushed to the bottom line for a turnaround jumper before the help came up.

This movement is very large, and apart from Durant, he is probably the only one who can do it.

Moreover, he also brought a golden rooster with a very personal label, which O'Neal couldn't pounce on even if he wanted to.

"Shh!"

A crisp sound came from the loudspeaker again.

Nowitzki only made one shot in the first half, but after coming on as a substitute in the second half, he hit shots in two consecutive rounds!
After scoring, Nowitzki exhaled another breath of hot air, just like a steam engine in the cyberpunk world.

Xu Yong was a little shocked when he saw this scene.

As a fan of Jordan, of course he has heard the story of the Flu War, when Jordan scored 38 points while in a feverish state.

But Jordan is the only one, and that man's story cannot be replicated.

From the history he knew, Nowitzki didn't play well when he had a fever.

That's one reason why he responded that Rose was good news.

And this is really normal. As a normal person, no one has ever had a fever. How can he be in good condition to play in the NBA Finals?It's basically impossible in theory.

But Nowitzki's performance when he came off the bench was different from what he thought.

Even because it was a personal experience, it was more shocking than Jordan's story.

Of course, this also aroused his fighting spirit.

Although competitive sports are cruel, beating a sick Nowitzki always gives people a feeling of defeat.

But if Nowitzki still feels this way in this state, he is simply asking for his own death.

When the offense and defense transitioned, Xu Yong directly relied on Kidd to ask for the ball in the high post.

Game strategy is dead, but people are alive. Instead of waiting until the last quarter to take the bottom, it is better to maintain the lead now.

This change came a bit suddenly. The Mavericks did not immediately attack from a double flank. Xu Yong chose to shoot a turnaround jumper from the bottom line.

"Shh!"

Although he didn't score much tonight, he was ruthless in his shots at critical moments.

The defensive shouts at the scene stopped abruptly, and Xu Yong's scoring response was very tough.

50:36.

There is still a 14-point difference on the field.

Nowitzki then held the ball in the high post. This time the Bulls attacked him and the ball passed to Terry.

Terry's three-point shot missed the basket due to Xu Yong's interference.

He gave his touch in advance in the first half.

However, after the long backboard of this ball popped out, it was grabbed by Nowitzki.

Nowitzki took the ball and quickly launched a second attack, a three-step layup, and finally tilted his body under Yao Ming's defense to complete a high-beat shot.

"Shh!"

After the ball bounced, it fell steadily into the net bag!
Nowitzki's scoring continues.

The fans at American Airlines Center have gone absolutely crazy.

This return of the king performance is really exciting.

"Incredible!" Over at the commentary box, Barkley could not hide his excitement at this time.

He has experienced Jordan's era and has been a commentator for ten years, but this is the first time he has seen someone replicate Jordan's miracles.

It's really incredible.

And Nowitzki's rosy face and constantly sweating body all indicate his physical condition tonight.

Carlisle also arrived on the sidelines at this time.

When Xu Yong wanted to take the position, he was bypassed by Kidd, and Marion was ready to help defend at any time.

The Bulls couldn't get the ball to Xu Yong, so Rose fed the ball to Yao Ming inside.

Yao Ming singled out Chandler, but Chandler fought hard to defend him!

At this time, the entire Mavericks team seemed to have been beaten to death, and their performance was beyond their usual state.

After Chandler collected the defensive rebound, the Mavericks ran fast.

And what's incredible is that Chandler turned out to be the second fastest runner in the fast break. After receiving Terry's return pass, he jumped directly into the air and performed a flying dunk across Rose.

After landing, Chandler shook his fist and roared.

Don't forget, his nickname is "Boxing King".

Thibodeau called a timeout in time.

Although the score difference on the spot is still 12 points, it is not too dangerous.

But it's obvious that the Mavericks are gaining momentum during this period, and he also has to solve the offensive problem.

After the timeout, the Bulls made personnel adjustments. Hinrich and Battier came on to replace Rose and O'Neal.

Thibodeau used the small-space lineup with one large and four that he used in G1.

Rose's performance from beyond the three-point line in the last game was not normal, and this lineup was actually very efficient in G1, but it only cost Xu Yong more physical energy.

But the Mavericks are about to gain momentum, and he can't care about physical issues at the moment.

Hinrich advanced to the frontcourt with the ball, and Xu Yong took a high position.

The Mavericks didn't hesitate and attacked directly from the side.

And because Xu Yong had just scored a goal before, this kind of flanking was also continuous.

Xu Yong passed the ball to Artest in the corner, and Artest made a three-pointer.

"when!"

Get out of the box.

Artest performed well in the first three rounds, but his touch from beyond the three-point line was not very good after entering the finals.

Chandler protects the defensive rebound.

The Mavericks once again launched a defensive counterattack. This time it was Nowitzki who directly shot a three-pointer against Artest's defense.

"Shh!"

It's like the basketball is equipped with a positioning device and goes through the net with one shot!
50:41.

The point difference was narrowed to 9 points.

At the same time, this is also Nowitzki's 9th point in the second half!
Nowitzki's arms rose after scoring, and the American Airlines Center was detonated again.

Now the pressure is all on the Bulls' side.

Don't look at them still leading by 9 points. If they can't continue to score on the offensive end, then how they reversed the Heat in G3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, how the Mavericks will reverse them tonight.

Moreover, the Mavericks have reversed the Lakers and Thunder before, and they have even more experience in this regard than the Bulls.

Xu Yong no longer went to the high post to ask for the ball.

He gave the ball directly to Yao Ming and then ran without the ball.

Now that the Mavericks' entire defensive focus is on him, it's difficult to work alone.

Yao Ming also handled it very calmly at this time. While holding the ball and playing singles against Chandler, he also paid attention to Xu Yong's position.

When he turned around and saw Xu Yong breaking away from the center, he threw the ball over without hesitation.

After receiving the ball, Xu Yong did not choose to take a direct shot, but rushed to the basket and took the next step into the air.

Now scoring two points is no longer enough to quench the thirst. The important thing is to suppress the Mavericks' point-chasing momentum.

Nothing does that better than a dunk.

Chandler continued to perform exceptionally at this time, and unexpectedly squeezed past Yao Ming and rushed towards Xu Yong.

After seeing this, Xu Yong directly pulled the ball back with both hands to avoid Chandler's defense. After gliding in the air for a while...

"Oh!"

He slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

In an instant, the shouts at the American Airlines Center stopped abruptly.

After landing, Xu Yong raised his hands and roared at his teammates.

You can clearly feel the change in the expressions of the Bulls players on the court.

This dunk boosted morale very much.

The Bulls players also showed this change in morale on the defensive end. Nowitzki was flanked and the ball was directly intercepted by Artest.

The Bulls went on a fast break, but when Hinrich made a fast break layup, Marion chased the shot directly from behind.

Affected by Nowitzki's return, the Mavericks are now even better than G1!
"Come on! Mavericks!"

The deafening cheers of Dallas fans once again filled the scene.

Nowitzki also realized at this time that it was difficult for him to have an easy singles opportunity. This time he went directly to play a pick-and-roll with Terry, and then went to the basket.

Xu Yong used puppy steps to get around the pick and roll, but O'Neal Jr. could not keep up with Nowitzki's rhythm.

Terry lobbed the ball in, and Nowitzki received the ball and made a long-distance layup, which also caused Yao Ming's blocker.

It’s crazy, it’s really crazy!
"Incredible!" Buckley exclaimed.

After a feverish night and a struggling first half, Nowitzki had his best performance in the Finals in the second half.

Nowitzki, who stepped to the free throw line, once again let out a breath of steam.

"Shh!"

He has scored 12 points in a single quarter while making steady extra free throws.

52:44.

The point difference has also been narrowed to 8 points.

Xu Yong continued to give the ball to Yao Ming, but the Mavericks players on the field reacted quickly and cut off the connection between him and Yao Ming.

Yao Ming finally chose to attack the basket. He played very hard on this shot. He turned around continuously and scored a layup, which also caused Chandler's defensive foul.

After adjusting his breathing, he steadily hit extra free throws, helping the Bulls once again widen the point difference to 11 points.

The scene was restless.

Nowitzki has played like that, and the Bulls still maintain the lead.

Moreover, Xu Yong and Yao Ming are both scoring through their hard-hitting ability at both inside and outside points. Although the Mavericks are chasing points with great momentum, as long as the score is interrupted, the point difference will soon be widened again.

This stretch puts more pressure on the Mavericks.

Nowitzki continued to play pick-and-roll with Terry, this time he shot outside.

Terry consciously looked for Nowitzki when he scored suddenly, but Xu Yong chose to change the ball and almost completed the steal directly.

And even if Nowitzki barely caught the ball, he was forced to miss it by Xu Yong.

Relying on Xu Yong's defensive awareness, the Bulls suddenly destroyed this cooperation.

However, Nowitzki's next choice was something Xu Yong did not expect. When he failed to create a comfortable offensive space, he actually chose to take action directly.

It feels like my hands are as hot as my body, completely ignoring defense!

Xu Yong tried his best to interfere, but Nowitzki's shooting point was too high, and he was unable to stop it in the end.

The basketball whirled in the air and crossed a parabola.

"Shh!"

Nowitzki's 6th shot in the second half, his 6th hit!
Moreover, this is the 15th point he scored in this quarter!
"The God of Basketball wears jersey No. 41." Barkley exclaimed.

Nowitzki's performance tonight was not his best in the playoffs.

Because before this, he had already scored 15 points in a single game against the Thunder on 12-of-24 and 48 free throws.

But his performance tonight was the most shocking since the playoffs, because you have to know that he was playing with a high fever.

Just as Barkley described it, Nowitzki in the third quarter was like Jordan putting on the No. 41 jersey.

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(End of this chapter)